Gjørrild Jacoby

Master graduate in Law 1978 – Courses in Criminology with a special focus on white collar crime and gender issues in the legal system.

Master level education in coaching from Copenhagen Coaching center – in my master thesis I was concerned with the possibilities of combining the social constructionist ideas with at philosophical protreptic approach in coaching.

3 years education in systemic Organizational consultation and family treatment at DISPUK. This institute centers on post-structuralistic approach with a special focus on the narrative systemic ways of thinking and acting.

I am currently working with postgraduate bachelor studies in leadership and organizational development, leadership and coaching, leadership and practical philosophy. Our education is based on the Social Constructionist and Systemic ideas and as so we try to embrace as many of the post-modern theories as possible, but find it very important to include some of the earlier modern theories too.

Many of the modern theories still plays an important role in NPM which is the reality for public leaders in Denmark, so it is not an option to turn your back on them – that won´t make them go away. So in order to give our students a conscious and productive multi -perspective in the choices they make when they have to take responsible action and make decisions in their everyday life, we find it important that they embrace a variety of theories and subsequently ways of government. Not because they are an expression of the one and only Truth (as those higher in hierarchy might think), but because the understanding of the existence of different paradigms and discourses might enable them to act in a strategic reflective way in order to co-create better social worlds for all involved.

In my educational practice as well as in my consulting practice firm I find myself becoming more and more focused on the importance of sustainable collaborative democratic relations on all levels of organizations, in classrooms and in society as a whole. How can we – not just talk and write about, but actually make this happen in all relations including those where hierarchy traditionally is the way to form the relation. For instance in the relations between student/teacher, Leader/employee and Politicians/citizens.

15 years ago I established a firm gjorrild@jacoby.dk. I have worked (and is still working) with individuals, groups and also with organizations of all sizes and types, public, non-profit and private. My overall perspective and approach in coaching, supervision, teaching and evaluation would be resource-oriented based on the social constructionist ideas and practical philosophy.

Previous to this I have been putting leadership into practice for more than a decade. Latest at a national Center in connection with the Danish Ministry of Social Welfare where we had a special focus on developing initiatives in regard to social corporate responsibility, organizational and community practices in rehabilitation of people who for different reasons were unemployed. Before that at a public Center of rehabilitation for young unemployed women with small children. The Center had a unique approach to linking education and rehabilitation of the women while at the same time their minor children were taken care of in a kindergarten connected to the center.

Before moving into leadership I worked as a Legal consultant and adviser in different national and European social and public organizations. My practice in those years covered a wide field from common legal practice to mediation between conflicting parties to counselling ad coaching at the local Crisis Center for women. Co-writer of a book about the importance of a coordinated public and private help and support to people who are traumatized as a result of accidents and violence.